Oil pan for internal-combustion motors



June 30, 1925.. 1,544,189

. A. SMITH v OIL PAN FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS Filed Nov. 13, 1923 Patented June 30, 1925.

out-ureter). srATEs ,Aunnnw snirn, or MILWAUKEE, WISGQNSIN.

OIL PAN FOR INTERNAL COMBUST'IO'N JVIOTORS.

Application filed. November 13, 1923. Serial *No. 6.74,-542.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, riNnRnw 'SMJTI-I, a citizen of the United States, andresidento'f lililwaulzee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usetliul Improvements in Oil Pans for Internal-Combustion Motors; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

'This invention relates to oil pans and is particularity directed to an oil pan for an internal combustion engine.

in internal combustionengines, it is customary to provide-an oil intake within the crank case adjacent the oil pan, so as :to permit the circulation of :oil by any suitable means. i) ficulty has been experienced in this 'angement of parts in that on the one hand it the oil intake is located high enough to avoid the entraining of water and sediment which has-collected beneath the layer of oil that as soon as itis slightly lowered this intake l; is to rcachthe oil and, on the other hand, it the intake is placed low enough to insure at al ltimes-a supply of oil the sediment and water wi:ll:be entrained and drawn into this intake.

This invention is designedato [overcome the above noted defects, and objects of such invention are to provide an oil panwhich is so associated with the intake and which isso constructed that oil will be constantly available at the intake and the entrance of water or sediment will be wholly avoided.

Further objects are to provide an oil pan with a sediment chamber which is provided with a movable cover adapted for external manipulation so that when the engine is not running the cover may 'be raised and the sediment and water collected in the sediment chamber, and when the engine is running, the cover may be lowered to thus trap and shut out the sediment and water, and to thus prevent its passage into the oil intake.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the lower portion of a crank case showing the oil pan and its associated parts in position, such figure corresponding to a section on the line 11 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is .a transverse sectional view on the dine 22 of Figure H.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary .cletail ofithe strainerportion ,ofttihe oi l intake.

The crank case 1 has :boltedthcreto a downwardly slanting oil pan 2. Asediment chamber 3 is provided with upwardly flaring walls which oint heoil pan 2 and thus the sediment chamberopens :into the lowest portion of-the oil pan; -This sediment oli-am her is provided with a cover t which is equipped with slanting sides 5-w h'ich, as shown, may consist of an inwardly turned flange adaptedto fit the slanting walls 3 of the sediment chamber. A cam 6 is located below the cover 4t and isrigi'c l ly carried upon a shaft 7 which projects outwardly t-h-roug-h the sediment chamber and carries at its outer end :a lever -8. This lever isconnected by means of a rod 9to any suitablemanually manipulable means located at some-acces sible point on the automobile such as t he dashboard, for instance. The intake 10 "lor the oil pump terminates -a slight ista nce above the cover 4. and is provided with-a hollow cylindrical straine' ll formed (of wire mesh with closed upper and lower and side walls,yas shown in Figure 3. hood 12- in the form of .a. cone is attached :to: the intake 10 and extends outwardly and downwardly therefrom tO a plurality ott supporting thus 13 secured both to the hood and to the oil pan 2.

Inwardly extending, downwardly turned fingers 1 1 are provided and are carried adj acent the lower portion of the hood, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. These fingers are adapted to engage the slanting upper surface of the cover 4 and to thus center the cover when it is raised by the cam member 6 and space it from the marginal edges of the sediment chamber 3.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: hen the engine is running the cover 4: is in the position shown in Figure 1 and thus closes the sediment chamber 3 and prevents the circulating oil from stirring up any sediment collected in the chamber 3. However, when the car is put away for the night, for instance, or otherwise not in use, the operator merely lifts the cover 4 upwardly by operating the rod 9, thus positioning the cover, as shown in Figure 2. This permits any water and any sediment which the oil has gathered to settle downwardly along the slanting bottom of the oil pan 2, and to travel into the sediment chamber 8; 'I/Vhen the car is again to be used, the operator manipulates the rod 9 and moves the cam member 6 into the position shown in Figure 1, thus allowing the cover ito movedownwardly closing the sediment chamber 3.

It is 'to be noted that even if suflicient water was collected by the sediment chamberto freeze, that, nevertheless, the tapered f upward walls of such chamber would prevent the expanding ice from damaging any portion of the apparatus, and in addition to this, the engine could be operated, as

none of the active portions of the oil pan or associated parts would be clogged by this freezing. Any suitable means such as the removable plug 15 (see Figure 2) may be provided for draining the sediment chamber 3 at such times as this operation may become necessary.

It is to be noted that the conical hood 12 extends beyond or overhangs the cover 4 and is spaced upwardly therefrom so that any settling material will be deflected away from the cover and to a point adjacent the marginal edges of the sediment chamber '3.

understood that the invention may be vari ously embodied and is, therefore, to be limited only as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a downwardly slanting oil pan, a sediment chamber opening into the lowest portion of said oil pan, a cover adapted to normally cover the upper portion ofsaid sediment chamber, externally accessible means for elevating said cover without disturbing said sediment chamber, and centering means for engaging the margins of said cover when elevated to hold said cover spaced from the upper margin of said sediment chamber. r

2. The combination of a downwardly tapering oil pan for an engine, a sediment chamber opening upwardly into the lowest portion of said oil pan, a cover normally closing the upper portion of said sediment chamber, an oil intake located abovesaid cover, a hood having downwardly slanting sides overhanging and spaced above said cover, and externally manipulabla'means for elevating said cover. I

3. The combination of a downwardly tapering oil pan for an engine, a sediment chamber opening upwardly into the lowest portion of said oil pan, a cover normally closing the upper portion of said sediment chamber, an oil intake locatedabove said cover, a hood having downwardly slanting sides overhanging and spaced above said cover, externally manipulablemeans for elevating said cover, and means for guiding said cover when elevated to hold said cover centrally beneath said hood and spaced from the margin of said sediment chamber.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin.

ANDREW SMIT H, 

